Family hopes to find peace for loved one killed in a car crash

Family raising money for funeral expenses

Family and friends of a Bakersfield woman who died earlier this month after her car crashed into a wall are still struggling to find a final resting place for her. Ashley Rodriguez still remembers the night she lost her best friend."That's the wo

KERO

BAKERSFIELD -

Family and friends of a Bakersfield woman who died earlier this month after her car crashed into a wall are still struggling to find a final resting place for her.

Ashley Rodriguez still remembers the night she lost her best friend.

"That's the worse feeling I ever had in my life. My sister is like a mom. She was a friend, she was a mom, and she was my big sister," said Rodriguez.

Amber Dawn Henry died in her vehicle after the person driving it crashed in east Bakersfield.

"She was in the backseat with some friends and they were on their way somewhere I guess the car lost control and they hit a brick wall," she said.

Henry’s loved ones are organizing several fundraisers to help pay for funeral expenses including weekend car washes.

"It just happened so we weren't prepared for it and so we need to raise the money so we can put her at peace," said friend Paula Pittman.

Many of her friends created scrap books and posters filled with pictures of Henry, it’s their way to cope with her loss and it also helps her two year old son, Jayden remember his mother.

"He is such a special little guy and his mom loved him so much like you would not believe, if you went on her photo album you wouldn't see nothing but pictures of him everywhere," she said.

The family hopes to raise at least $2,900 for funeral services and while they lost someone special, they hope people can learn from this tragedy.

"The lesson is you know don't drink and drive. Don't even get in the car with a person that drives that is drinking, not even one beer because you never know what could happen," said Rodriguez.

According to Rodriguez, the driver in the incident is still in the hospital in critical condition.

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